The World As A Game Board

A part of Swedish ICT

The world as a game board

Karl-Petter Åkesson

kalle@sics.se

Overview

• Historical – how have we played so far in the physical room?

• New technology – Internet of Things• Games around us that use technology• ARG and Pervasive games• Marketing examples• Some things to consider

History

• Games and play is older than humanity• Naturally using our surroundings

Play

• Important way of learning• Passing time

Physical efforts

• Many games has become what we know as sports

Social games

• Games as a meeting point• Winning not so important

Murder Mystery Dinner Party

• A box with instruction for a mini roleplaying game

http://www.mystery-games.com/mystery-game.html

LARP

• Live Action Role Playing• Two main genres

– Strategic– Social

Creativity

• Making clothes, equipment, food etc.• Characters, stories

What enables technology?

• Structure– Control of rules– Pacing a story

• Communication– Between individuals, places and things

• Experiences– Different media, e.g. sound and images.

Internet of Things

• Collection of communicating items• Sense the surrounding

– the surrounding becomes the game space• Control physical phenomena

– Effect the surrounding to perceive the game• Communication

– Devices can share information

What exists today?

• Innovative use of existing technology• Traditional games and sports enhanced

with technology

GeoCaching

• Treasures localized with GPS

http://www.geocaching.com

GeoCaching

• Gbg High 9– N 57° 41.537 E 011° 56.582 (WGS84)– The official view point for persons looking for stars is

situated close to this cache location. You will also be close to a small special fortress (see picture).

GPSDrawing

• A series of coordinates generates a drawing

• GPS

http://www.gpsdrawing.com/

Vasaloppet

• Each runner has an ID tags in the shoe• Individual timings

Dance Dance Revolution

LaserDome

ARG and Pervasive Games

• New game genres

• Games that utilize our everyday world

• Grown out of mobility and internet

Alternate Reality Games

• Playing with alternative views• Mainly using websites, e-mail and other

online services

• Nokia Game - 1999• The Beast – 2001• Majestic – 2001

Perplex City - 2005

• Solve mysteries tofind the cube

• Cards with puzzles

• Over 600.000 solved• Over 45.000 players

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplex_City

Pervasive Games

• Blurring the boarders more– Where is the game played?– Who is playing the game?– When is the game played?

BotFighters - 2000

• A hunt with yourmobile as a gun

• Find and shootdown as manyas possible.

• Wrong targetgroup.

CanYouSeeMeNow? - 2001

http://www.canyouseemenow.co.uk/

Momentum - 2006

• Massive– 5 weeks - 24/7– 30 players– Whole of Stockholm

• Technology enhanced LARP

• Players took control of the plot

http://momentum.sics.se/

The truth about Marika - 2007

• First integration of TV series and Pervasive Game

• Interactive Emmy

FastFoot Challenge - 2008

• GPS based hunt

http://www.fastfoot.mobi/

CipherCities

• Quests and missions

• Using mobile internet or SMS

• Community created games

http://ciphercities.com/

GPS Mission

• Solve a mission by visiting places• Community created• Mobile phone with GPS

http://gpsmission.com/

Marketing examples

• Nokia Game – 1999 – 2005

• The Beast – The Movie A.I. - 2001

• I Love Bees – Halo 2 - 2004

• Primacy - Numb3rs - 2007

Things to consider

• Socially– Collision with society– Non-participants/spectators– Utilize technology shortcomings

• Business models– Existing ones independent in time and

space

The End• Thank you for your time!

• Questions?

• http://pervasivegames.wordpress.com • http://www.pervasive-gaming.org

• Karl-Petter Åkesson - kalle@sics.se